Dimensions/Weight: 381 x 357 x 216 mm (WxDxH)/19lb/8.6kg
Oftentimes, a simple mono laser printer is the best and most economical way to serve the print demands of a busy shared office and the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn (known as the 4002dn outside the US) is designed for just that. It’s a compact desktop unit with two paper inputs, strong security features and a very fast auto-duplex print speed.
The HP LaserJet Pro 4000 series includes eight near-identical variants, which all lack a touchscreen, NFC and Bluetooth connectivity, while this model doesn’t even have Wi-Fi. It’s all about keeping the cost competitive. Instead of Wi-Fi, you have an Ethernet port to get online and network with up to ten users.
With their high speed and high capacity for paper and toner, the 4000 series promise to keep everyone printing efficiently. HP suggests a massive monthly duty cycle up to 80,000 pages, so let’s see if this little HP printer can really deliver.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Design and build
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(Image credit: HP // Future)
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(Image credit: HP // Future)
HP’s designers are the best at shrinking printers to desktop-friendly dimensions, and the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn is a good example. Its footprint is only 14 by 15 inches, so when you load A4 paper, a rear flap opens up just enough to accommodate its length.
Despite the small size, it can hold 250 sheets of paper in the main drawer and 100 in the multipurpose tray. You can even add a paper cassette accessory for around $140 that’ll take another 550 sheets.
Being a monochrome printer, there’s only one cartridge on board, so there’s plenty of room for toner too. The supplied setup cart gives you up to 2,900 black and white pages, which isn’t bad, but high-yield carts are available that will print up to 9,500 pages.
There’s a backlit two-line display on top with basic button controls and ports at the rear for Ethernet, USB and power cables. I can also see a USB Host port, but it’s blanked off as that’s a feature reserved for more expensive variants of the 4000 series.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Features & specifications
The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn has few features, but a strong specification sheet. There’s no touchscreen, no Bluetooth, no NFC, no working USB Host port and no Wi-Fi, for example. For wireless variants, you’ll need the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dw, or 4002dw, where that final ‘w’ stands for Wi-Fi.
The maximum print speed of 42ppm, however, makes this one of the fastest laser printers in its price category. The max toner and paper capacity is also impressive at 350 sheets and 9,500 sheets respectively. There’s an ample 256MB internal RAM and 1,200MHz processing speed.
Naturally, it can auto-duplex and the in-built Wolf Pro security is up to HP’s usual high standard. You can, for instance, protect print jobs by requiring a PIN to be entered.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Setup and operation
(Image credit: HP // Future)
With no Wi-Fi to set up and the toner cartridge already installed, there’s really not much to do in order to print your first page. Simply load your paper, turn on and wait for the printer to warm up.
The FPOT (first page out time) is a prompt 6.1 seconds although I found it can take a lot longer depending on the print job. I concur with the 42ppm print rate for consecutive simplex pages. By the way, if you’re wondering why the US specification says 42ppm, while the European manual says 40ppm it's because 8.5x11-inch letter paper is slightly shorter than A4 paper.
It also prints quickly in duplex mode, with the pages being turned smoothly and quite quietly each time. The LCD screen may be small, but it’s backlit and clearly readable, making the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn an easy printer to operate.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Performance
(Image credit: HP // Future)
The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn printed all of my test pages promptly and without a misprint or paper jams. The overall print quality is perfectly acceptable, although black text on plain paper doesn’t look quite as bold and crisp as the best laser printers. Switching from draft to best quality mode gives you darker lines that look more professional, but it’s a slightly slower and less economical way to print.
Black and white photos on plain paper are also acceptable, but too grainy and soft to impress. You can achieve slightly better results by using laser photo paper, but there’s no preset for photo paper within the printer’s settings, proving that it’s really not geared up for photos.
The front-loading multipurpose tray works just as well as the main tray, but it’s limited to 120g/m², whereas the drawer input can take thicker 200g/m² paper. It would not accept the 300 g/m² card that some printers are ok with.
For speed and consistency, the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn is hard to fault. Churning out long double-sided text documents is its forte and every page will look good enough for most purposes. It’s only if you’re looking for that dark black professional finish that I’d recommend turning to a premium laser printer like the Xerox VersaLink B600DN.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Consumables
(Image credit: HP // Future)
The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn comes with a pre-installed black toner cartridge capable of delivering up to 2,900 letter-sized pages, which is not bad for a start-up cart. And it can be replaced with a cartridge yielding a whopping 9,500 pages. With a big HP 149X cart costing around $300 (£183), that’s a slightly lower CCP (cost per page) than the Brother HL-L2865DW.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Maintenance
Even the best laser printers require less upkeep than inkjets and the only component you’ll need to replace here are the empty cartridges. HP has the imaging drum built into the cartridge so you’re replacing that at the same time.
When your prints look faded and you receive a low toner warning from the printer, I find that it’s worth extracting and gently shaking the cartridge to get more toner out of it. And when it comes to installing the new one, don’t open the box and leave it exposed to the light for too long as that can damage it.
HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Final verdict
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(Image credit: HP // Future)
I found the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn (or HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn) to be an easy printer to use, with the right features to meet a heavy print load and print quality that’s good enough for most purposes. It might not have the bold black and high detail you get with a more expensive monochrome printer, but it’s just right for general office duties.
I think the HP LaserJet Pro 4000 series, puts a strong case for buying a mid-price mono printer, as opposed to a cheaper laser or inkjet alternative, mainly because the duplex print rate is so much faster.
This is a hard-working office printer that can serve a workgroup of ten, while having the high toner and yield capacity to keep everyone printing without too much downtime. The compact design is expandable and its inbuilt security is sufficient for me to recommend it as a safe investment for any growing business.
BitComet is a free torrenting client for PCs and mobile devices. It allows you to download videos, music, photos, and other files from across the web. BitComet is unique because it doesn’t support only the BitTorrent protocol. It can also download files using the HTTP and FTP protocols.
With a glut of torrenting platforms available, many people struggle to choose the best one for their needs. We’re reviewing BitComet to help you decide whether it’s an ideal choice. Our review centers on crucial factors, including its features, user-friendliness, and security.
BitComet: Versions and platforms
BitComet is available as a desktop or mobile app. The desktop app is compatible with the Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. The mobile app is compatible only with the Android operating system. Like most torrenting apps, it is incompatible with iOS.
Apple's iOS App Store has stringent requirements and is generally unfriendly to torrenting apps. Hence, most torrenting apps are incompatible with iOS.
You can download BitComet by heading to the website, clicking the “downloads” section, and choosing your relevant operating system. Downloading and installing the app takes little time and effort.
(Image credit: Future)
BitComet: Features
BitComet is unique because it supports multiple file-sharing protocols (BitTorrent, HTTP, and FTP). You can download content indirectly via torrents or directly from an online source.
This platform supports long-term seeding, whereby any torrent file a user downloads is kept for an extended period. This makes it easy for other users on the network to access the file, ensuring faster download speeds across the torrenting network.
BitComet has a “torrent exchange” feature that allows users to obtain torrents directly from other BitComet users. This feature increases the availability of content on its torrenting network.
To download content via BitComet, you’ll first search for the relevant torrent from your favorite torrent site. For instance, if you want a specific audio track, you can search for the track and download the .torrent file on your PC. Then, you’ll upload this torrent to BitComet to begin the download. Alternatively, you can download a file by providing its torrent hash or Magnet URI.
BitComet supports the HTTP and FTP file transfer protocols, so you can also download a file by providing its HTTP URL. Unlike most rivals exclusively used for torrenting, we like that BitComet supports multiple download protocols.
To illustrate, we downloaded a (public domain) music .torrent file. The next step is clicking on BitComet’s torrent upload button, highlighted with a red arrow in the below image.
(Image credit: Future)
Click on this button, upload the file, and you’ll automatically create a new download task. Choose the file destination and click “Download Now” to begin downloading. Alternatively, you can click “Download Later” and schedule the download at a specific time.
BitComet shows your real-time download progress and speed. You can monitor all your pending or completed downloads from a single page. You’re free to pause or stop a pending download.
When testing BitComet, we observed swift download speeds, but yours can vary depending on how many seeders (for your specific torrent file) are present on the network. Seeders are users like you who have downloaded and shared a file with other BitComet users.
The more seeders available, the more bandwidth and the faster your download speed. The fewer the seeders on the network, the slower your download speed. Your network speed also contributes to how fast BitComet will download your torrent file.
If you download content via HTTP or FTP, you don't need to worry about seeders. In this case, your download speed primarily depends on your internet service provider (ISP).
Torrenting can consume significant bandwidth, especially when acting as a seeder for other BitComet users. To save bandwidth, BitComet lets users set maximum file upload speeds. You’ll never surpass this limit when uploading files for other users.
BitComet lets users set IP filters for security purposes. You can do that via denylists or allowlists. Denylists block specific IP addresses from sharing files with your device, usually the IPs known for spreading malware. With allowlists, you’ll permit only a specific set of IP addresses to share files with your device, and the others are automatically blocked.
BitComet: Interface and in-use
Intuitiveness is one of the main advantages we observed when testing BitComet. It has a simple interface that users can easily understand. All the functions are neatly arranged on the dashboard’s upper side. The upper-left corner hosts an array of buttons, including the torrent upload, start, stop, and delete buttons.
Every button has a fitting icon as opposed to plain text, making it easy to discover what you want. BitComet has a white background and bright colors to make icons noticeable. The navigation menu is easily accessible on a desktop or Android phone.
BitComet is compatible with the most popular desktop operating systems—macOS, Windows, and Linux—and the most popular mobile operating system (Android). It is highly accessible, though it lacks an iOS app for broader reasons.
BitComet: Security and privacy
Torrenting can expose you to security threats like malware. Hence, BitComet has sophisticated features to prevent users from falling victim to cyber threats. It automatically scans all files for viruses before downloading them. You'll be warned and prompted to cancel the download if a virus is detected.
This platform uses advanced encryption algorithms to prevent unauthorized parties from snooping on your torrenting activities. For heightened security, you can set BitComet always to encrypt outgoing connections and only accept encrypted incoming connections.
Though very secure, BitComet isn’t perfectly airtight. There’s always a risk of your torrenting activities getting leaked, so don’t use BitComet for illegal activities. TechRadar explicitly doesn’t endorse piracy.
BitComet: Final Verdict
BitComet is one of the best free torrenting solutions. It makes discovering and downloading content a cakewalk, thanks to its support of other protocols aside from BitTorrent. We recommend BitComet to anyone looking for a suitable torrenting solution.
Tixati is one of the popular torrent clients to embrace a minimalist design, and it is quite light on system resources as well, which is another plus point here.
Tixati is entirely free, and also advert-free, yet it still boasts several advanced features that should help with getting the best possible download speeds. It is available to download on all popular operating systems, excluding macOS.
Windows 10 is supported, plus Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP, with users able to install the 32-bit or 64-bit versions directly from the website. Tixati also supports most Linux distros like Fedora, RHEL, Ubuntu, Mint, Mandriva, and more.
The client has been getting regular monthly updates, and the latest version of Tixati (2.73) was released in April 2020. Tixati is not available on any mobile platforms currently.
(Image credit: Tixati)
Features
Tixati lets users manage downloads by allowing them to limit the bandwidth used and even filter the IP addresses. The client offers the ability to schedule tasks and subscribe to the RSS feeds of your favorite websites.
(Image credit: Tixati)
Tixati's user interface may appear to be a little outdated in terms of design. However, Tixati offers tooltips and pop-ups, and the setup process is a breeze.
If you’re switching from any other torrent client, Tixati may feel slightly different initially because its layout is rather distinct. While most torrent clients come with a left-aligned menu, Tixati has all the tabs aligned along the top. Further note that Tixati offers an option to tweak the interface slightly based on your preferences.
The sheer number of customization options that Tixati offers makes it one of the favored clients among pro users. It provides access to a complete set of low-level details regarding swarms, and that is one of the reasons that makes it stand apart from the competition.
The Tixati client provides access to a comprehensive help and support section. This helps users in addressing any issues they may face with the torrent client. There are plenty of troubleshooting tips, help guides, and additional useful hints that can aid in minimizing any downtime.
Additionally, the highly active community forum can help address almost any issue the users may be facing. The community is quite lively and provides real-time support and quick solutions.
(Image credit: Tixati)
Security
Tixati is a closed source platform. While that means it lacks the transparency of open source torrent clients, which can have their code examined by anyone, there’s no particular need to worry about the security of Tixati, at least not going by VirusTotal, which registered zero threats after scanning the installer file (at the time of writing).
Note that Tixati offers increased security for users via support for forced RC4 encryption and a SOCKS5 proxy, and it is always advisable to hide your IP address, which is otherwise broadly visible. We have an exhaustive guide to the best VPN for torrenting and torrents.
Piracy
While torrents allow users to download their favorite content off the internet, and torrent clients make the process easier, remember that there is, of course, copyrighted material online, and downloading that is breaking the law. Of course, TechRadar does not support or endorse piracy or illegal downloads.
(Image credit: Tixati)
Final verdict
While Tixati has a rather different layout and look for its interface, the overall performance of this client is very satisfactory. The high degree of customization available, ad-free interface, and regular updates are a few major plus points that make Tixati a must-try torrent client.
Transmission is one of the most widely-used cross-platform torrent clients. It has numerous features and is compatible with the most popular desktop operating systems.
Transmission is a torrenting app known for its intuitive interface and widespread compatibility. It’s easy to understand even for non-technical users. Its free and open-source nature makes it a popular choice for people seeking to download content.
We’re reviewing Transmission to help you decide whether it’s a good choice. We’ll dive into its features, security, ease of use, and other crucial factors.
Transmission: Version and platforms
Transmission is widely compatible. It can be downloaded on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Unix. It’s also compatible with numerous Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Mint, OpenSUSE, Raspberry Pi, and CentOS.
The extensive PC compatibility makes Transmission a top choice for geeks running atypical operating systems. If macOS and Windows aren’t your thing, you can still download Transmission on many other operating systems.
The drawback is that Transmission lacks an Android mobile app, unlike many rival tools.
(Image credit: Future)
Transmission: Features
Transmission is a torrenting app mainly used to download content. The process is simple: First, you download a torrent from an external source. Then, you launch the torrent on Transmission to begin the download.
There is no built-in search engine for directly finding torrents, which we consider a drawback. Users must download the torrents from external sites before launching them on Transmission.
After downloading a file, you become a “seeder,” uploading it to the torrenting network for other users. Transmission depends on seeders to provide fast download speeds for all users.
You can limit the speed at which you seed (upload) files for other users; this limit helps conserve bandwidth. You can also set a maximum speed for your downloads.
We observed fast download speeds when using Transmission. However, your speed can vary depending on how many seeders are available for the torrent you download. The higher the number of seeders, the faster the download speed. The fewer the seeders, the slower the download speed.
You can monitor your downloads from a user-friendly dashboard. This dashboard shows the progress of current downloads and the list of all previous downloads. You can pause or cancel a download that’s still in progress.
Transmission uses less memory than most torrenting apps we’ve tested. Some torrenting apps are memory hogs, slowing down other programs because of their excessive consumption. In contrast, Transmission has a lightweight structure that keeps your PC at its optimal performance when downloading content. It doesn’t interfere with the performance of other apps.
Transmission has a collection of add-ons that provide complementary features. You can download these add-ons from Transmission’s official website. For instance, you can download add-ons that let you control Transmission remotely from a smartphone.
(Image credit: Future)
With a remote control add-on, you can pause, resume or delete torrent downloads from your smartphone. You can filter torrent lists, download new torrents, and receive notifications about completed downloads.
You can also download an add-on to control Transmission from your browser instead of the standalone app. With this add-on, you can manage and monitor all torrents from your browser instead of constantly juggling your browser and the standalone Transmission app.
Being free and open-source are major reasons for choosing Transmission. Users can examine the code and certify that Transmission isn’t engaging in schemes like malware and adware to generate revenue. Transmission is a free tool maintained by a global network of volunteer developers, so there’s no incentive to cut corners to make money.
Some torrenting apps are infamous for bundling flash ads, pop ads, and tracking users to harvest data for money. Transmission doesn’t have these issues. It provides sophisticated torrenting features for free.
Transmission: Interface and in-use
Transmission is more user-friendly than most rival torrenting apps. Notably, the desktop app incorporates unique interfaces for each operating system.
For instance, the macOS app has the sleek, simple interface Apple is known for. The Windows app has a modernized interface that makes using it easy. The Linux apps follow the recommended GNOME human interface guidelines.
Thanks to its extensive developer network, Transmission features customized interfaces for different operating systems. The app incorporates minimalistic design with features neatly arranged at the top and configurations at the bottom. The icons are self-explanatory, making it easy to find different features. Any layperson can quickly get acquainted with Transmission’s interface and download content.
Transmission: Security and privacy
Torrenting clients are generally secure but have risks. For instance, open-source torrenting apps often receive unofficial builds from malicious developers who use them to introduce malware. Transmission has experienced this issue but quickly blocked malicious builds.
Transmission has security features to prevent your torrenting activities from leaking to third-parties. For instance, you can block specific IP addresses from sharing files with your PC, which are usually IPs known for sharing malicious files.
For further security, you should switch on a VPN before downloading torrents. VPNs encrypt your traffic by routing it through remote servers. This encryption prevents third-parties from snooping on your torrenting activities.
Despite Transmission’s advanced security features and the additional use of a VPN, no torrenting app is 100% secure. Motivated actors can exploit flaws to snoop on users’ torrenting activities. Hence, avoid using Transmission for illegal activities. TechRadar doesn’t endorse piracy.
Transmission: Final Verdict
Transmission is an excellent choice if you need a simple yet sophisticated torrenting client. It has some drawbacks, such as a lack of a built-in search engine, but its advanced features, impressive download speeds, and other pros outweigh the cons.
uTorrent is one of the most popular torrent clients globally. To many, it’s synonymous with torrenting itself. This platform maintains a stellar reputation because of its performance, speed, and ubiquitous features.
I’m reviewing uTorrent to help you decide whether it’s worth the hype. My review will focus on crucial factors like its features, speed, performance, security, and pricing. Read on to learn the pros and cons of uTorrent in detail.
uTorrent: Pricing
Unlike many torrenting clients, uTorrent offers different tiers of its product. Its basic version is free for anyone to download. However, this free version includes ads on the interface, which can be distracting when downloading content.
The paid tiers of uTorrent include
Ad-Free: For $4.95 per year, you can remove all ads from your interface. This version is also optimized to consume less bandwidth.
Pro: For $19.95 yearly, you can enjoy an ad-free experience and integrated virus scanning when downloading torrents.
Pro + VPN: This tier combines the features of the Pro tier and includes a VPN for secure content downloads. A VPN routes torrenting traffic through secure remote servers to avoid being tracked by third-parties.
uTorrent accepts cryptocurrency and credit/debit card payments. The paid tiers lack a free trial.
uTorrent: Versions
Extensive compatibility is one of uTorrent’s strengths. It has apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It also has an Android but no iOS app, which is typical for torrenting clients. Apple frowns upon torrenting apps appearing on its App Store, so you’ll hardly find any torrenting platform compatible with iOS.
(Image credit: Future)
uTorrent: Features
uTorrent is the most feature-rich torrenting client in my opinion, as it offers functionalities I’ve hardly encountered in other rival clients. It has a simple mechanism. You’ll first find a .torrent file from an external website. This file contains the metadata of the content you want to download.
Then, you’ll upload the .torrent file on uTorrent to begin downloading the relevant content. uTorrent notably supports bulk downloads at fast speeds, a feature many torrenting clients lack.
I observed fast download speeds when testing uTorrent. The app auto-adjusts bandwidth usage based on your network connection to provide fast speeds.
Download speeds are determined partly by the number of “seeders,” or uploaders, available on uTorrent’s network. Fortunately, as the most popular torrenting client, there’s hardly a lack of seeders to share files on uTorrent and maintain reliable speeds for everyone on the network.
uTorrent lets you schedule downloads ahead of time. For example, you can upload a .torrent file while at the office and instruct uTorrent to download it several hours later when you connect to your home’s WiFi network.
I was able to control my upload and download speeds to conserve bandwidth when using uTorrent. By default, after downloading a torrent on uTorrent, you automatically become a seeder uploading the files for other users on the network. Capping the data upload speed helped me conserve bandwidth when sharing files.
(Image credit: Future)
uTorrent supports remote access, which allows you to manage your torrenting activities from external devices. For example, I was able control downloads on a home computer from my smartphone while at work.
During testing, I enjoyed uTorrent’s light performance despite its many features. It’s not a memory hog that strains your PC’s resources and causes its fans to run at full speed. Instead, it’s a lightweight app with a hardly noticeable impact on your PC’s performance.
With uTorrent, you can download content while seamlessly handling other activities on your web browser or desktop apps.
uTorrent’s Android app is similar to its desktop app. It offers light performance, advanced features, impressive download speeds, and a simple user interface. You can use this Android app to control uTorrent on your PC and other devices.
A drawback I observed with uTorrent is the presence of ads on the basic version. These ads are distracting and, occasionally, users get ads for grey apps flagged by virus scanners. You should exercise caution when interacting with ads on uTorrent.
uTorrent: Interface and in-use
uTorrent has a modern, responsive interface that beats most torrenting clients. Its sleek interface spots a white or dark background (adjustable) with features brightly highlighted with contrasting colors.
The features are neatly arranged on the left, and the main menu is on the right. The buttons to add new torrents and begin downloading are boldly displayed on the main menu, so you can quickly find and switch between different features.
uTorrent is easy for a non-technical person to use. It performs excellently in the user-friendliness criterion, which isn’t the case for some torrenting platforms.
uTorrent: Security
Security is paramount when downloading torrents, as ISPs and other third-parties often seek to identify and block users. uTorrent has many security features to protect users from data leaks and cyber threats.
The Pro version comes with an integrated virus scanner. It scans every .torrent file for viruses and alerts you if any are detected. This feature is crucial because .torrent files are a common vector for introducing malware. It protects your PC from potential damage from viruses.
It’s advisable to turn on a VPN to encrypt your traffic before downloading torrents, which I did. This encrypts your torrenting data from third-parties, like ISPs, that want to snoop on it. The Pro + VPN feature includes an annual subscription to CyberGhost VPN. This VPN offers fast servers across the globe, letting you choose the most convenient location for different use cases.
If you already have a VPN, you can get the Pro version instead of the Pro + VPN version. Any reliable VPN will encrypt your uTorrent activities and prevent prying eyes.
uTorrent: Final Verdict
We can confidently call uTorrent one of the best torrenting clients you can choose. It’s not all rosy, as the basic version includes distracting ads and lacks the integrated virus scanner of the Pro version. However, when you exercise caution, uTorrent is one of the best apps for downloading content at impressive speeds.
TechRadar is dedicated to helping you choose the best software tools. Hence, I reviewed one of the most popular torrent clients to help you decide if it’s worthwhile.
You might have heard of Vuze, formerly called Azureus. Its name frequently appears when people search for torrenting clients on Google and across the web. I tested the app extensively to judge whether it lives up to its fame. Read on to learn about its features, pricing, security, user-friendliness, and other crucial factors.
Vuze: Pricing
I’ve tested endless torrenting clients, and many of them are completely free. However, Vuze is not. It has a free version that includes ads (which I often found annoying), but an ad-free interface requires paying $3.99 monthly for Vuze Plus.
To be fair, Vuze Plus includes other features like DVD burning and the ability to play media files while they’re still downloading. Yet, I’m not a fan of paying for a torrenting client when many free alternatives are available.
Vuze: Versions
Vuze is available on the three major desktop operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Linux. But, something feels odd about this app. It was officially released in 2017, and development seems to have stalled since then.
Vuze used to have an Android app available on the Play Store, but I checked endlessly for it and found none. The app was removed from the Play Store for unclear reasons, making it only accessible by directly downloading the APK file. I think the APK process is too much work for the average user.
(Image credit: Future)
Vuze: Features
Vuze is a feature-rich torrenting client whether you’re using the free or paid version. The free version includes a search bar to find torrents right from the app. This feature is important because many torrenting clients don’t provide help in finding .torrent files to download. Instead, you’ll have to visit an external site to get the files.
The search feature is split into a torrent search and web search. The former encompasses .torrent files stored on Vuze’s database, and the latter helps you find .torrent files across the web. For instance, if you search for Jazz music, you can view torrent files for them across the web or the results directly from Vuze’s database.
If you have the relevant .torrent file already installed on your PC, you can add it to Vuze and begin the download. The .torrent file contains the metadata of the larger file you want to download, and Vuze quickly begins the process.
You can also download torrents via their magnet links, which are hyperlinks containing the metadata of the relevant file. Paste this link into Vuze, and it’ll quickly begin downloading the file.
Likewise, users can download files by providing the torrent hash. I liked that Vuze offers flexible ways to discover and download .torrent files. I encountered variable speeds when downloading content from this app. Some files downloaded much faster than others, likely due to the availability of more seeders for those files.
(Image credit: Future)
Seeding in torrenting is the process of uploading a file for other users. When you download any content on Vuze, you automatically become a seeder uploading that same content for other users. That’s how the network maintains enough capacity to offer reliable downloads for users. Uploading content can consume considerable bandwidth, so Vuze lets you cap your upload speed to conserve bandwidth.
Though downloading the APK file for the Android app seemed tedious, I had to do it to provide a rigorous review. After setting it up, I used it to control torrent downloads on my PC. The Android app lets you start, stop, and pause downloads remotely from any location. For instance, you can be at work and control downloads on your home PC.
I enjoyed testing Vuze Plus even if I wish I didn’t have to pay for the extra features. It includes a built-in DVD player that lets users play media directly while downloading. I couldn’t wait to watch my favorite movie when downloading, so I had to press that play button.
Vuze Plus also removes ads, which I mostly found distracting. I’m not a fan of ads, so maybe that’s why I found them annoying. However, I think an average user can easily tolerate and ignore the ads on the free Vuze version.
Vuze has an outstanding feature called Swarm Discoveries. This feature searches for similar content based on what you've previously downloaded on Vuze, akin to an algorithm recommending related content to download. It recommends related content that you may enjoy, helping you discover the best movies, music, and more at no cost.
Vuze: Interface and in-use
I didn’t have issues navigating Vuze’s interface on the desktop and Android apps. It’s a well-designed app with a modern, sleek interface. The features are arranged on the left, and the main dashboard is on the right.
Vuze is a lightweight app that didn’t consume significant computing resources, which I can’t say for many torrenting clients. Some clients I’ve tested hijacked my PC’s resource space and left little room for other apps, but not Vuze.
However, I think Vuze has a steep learning curve for the average person. You’ll likely need some time to get used to its numerous features.
Vuze: Security
Security is paramount when using any torrenting client. ISPs don’t like torrenting and often want to identify users downloading torrents. Hence, you should switch on a VPN before downloading torrents to protect yourself from third-party snooping.
I liked that Vuze Plus has a built-in antivirus scanner (based on Bitdefender). This tool scans all incoming torrents for viruses and alerts you if any are detected. It’s vital, given that torrents are a common vector through which malicious actors spread malware.
Vuze: Final Verdict
I enjoyed Vuze’s feature richness and user-friendliness. I have some complaints, such as the free version including distracting ads, but we don’t always get what we want. Overall, I’ll recommend Vuze as a torrenting solution for everyone.
DrayTek keeps raising the bar for small-to-medium business networks with powerful routers and cutting-edge features. The Vigor2865Lax-5G is the newest member of the (extended) 2865 family, adding to the multi-WAN flexibility with a built-in dual SIM quad-antenna 5G/4G LTE modem for the fastest possible mobile broadband.
We have previously reviewed the DrayTek Vigor2865ax (with similar specs but no 5G) and found it excellent. The Lax-5G model has a few key feature upgrades, but also retains (almost) everything that we liked about the 2865 series. For a start, you get a VDSL2 modem with 35b Supervectoring and ADSL2+ backward compatibility, so you can still pull up to 300 Mbps from a fiber-to-the-node line.
There’s also a switchable Gigabit Ethernet WAN/LAN port, plus a USB 2.0 socket for extra 4G/3G fallback, a printer, storage or even a temperature sensor.
Of course, where the 2865Lax-5G really stands out is the inclusion of a dual Nano-SIM slot and an integrated Cat 19 5G/LTE modem. You can set it up as a backup with automatic failover or load balancing between other connections, including VDSL and WAN.
Wireless performance remains the same as the 2865ax, with AX3000-class Wi-Fi 6 radios running 2×2 MU-MIMO with dual antennas. That gives you up to 2,402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz. While we would have liked to have seen a Wi-Fi 6GHz 6E or 7 update, we respect the decision to keep it simple and reduce costs. Especially since the router is best networked to an array of Wi-Fi access points, and in fact DrayTek also sells the router as a 2865L-5G model with no Wi-Fi at all.
Under the hood you’ll find hardware acceleration to keep multi-WAN traffic and encrypted tunnels from becoming a bottleneck. Like the 2865ax, IPsec throughput can hit 800 Mbps and SSL VPN sessions manage 130 Mbps. With up to 32 VPN tunnels (including 16 SSL VPN) available, the router makes it easy for remote teams to tap into their company's main network.
This router maintains the series’ robust feature set: support for 16 VLANs and eight LAN subnets, a high-performance firewall with content filtering and QoS, plus zero-touch management of up to 20 DrayTek access points and 10 switches. If you run the VigorACS 3 network management software, you also get SD-WAN orchestration for even smarter traffic routing.
So the spec is good, but how is it to actually use in the real world? Setup was straightforward, and I always enjoy using DrayTek’s plain but robust web interface. As expected, wired performance is rock-solid, and in our tests Wi-Fi throughput peaked at around 578 Mbps at close range, tapering to roughly 377 Mbps at ten meters.
Using the 5G connection we saw maximum downlink speeds of 304 Mbps, with uplink around 121 Mbps – though keep in mind that this is highly dependent on your 5G service provider, cellular bands used, signal strength and the capabilities of the cellular tower you are connected to. While the modem itself is capable of very high speeds in theory, it’s connected into the router via USB 2.0, which limits the maximum throughput to about 400 Mbps.
All told, I was quite impressed with the Vigor2865Lax-5G. Sure, there are little niggles that I expand on further down, but it does manage to combine the 2865 series’ enterprise-grade routing and security with the flexibility of high-performance 5G. So all in all, I think it’s an excellent choice for businesses that need cutting-edge mobile broadband along with a lot of flexibility.
DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Price & availability
The Vigor2865Lax-5G looks like a standard router without the 5G antennas installed (Image credit: Future)
How much does it cost? $799 / £699 / AU$1,250
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Stocked in most major markets including the US, UK and Australia
The DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G isn’t always the easiest to find, but head to your local DrayTek website (or your country's authorized reseller) for more info on local purchase options.
While comparatively easy to find in Australia and the UK, the Vigor2865Lax-5G is harder to buy in the US and at times has been unavailable.
There’s not a huge amount of competition in the 5G-capable VDSL2 modem-router space, but overall the Vigor2865Lax-5G is priced well against similar products.
Value: 4 / 5
DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Specifications
Cellular: RxCat 19, Tx Cat 18 5G/4G LTE Antenna: 4 external LTE/5G, 2x external Wi-Fi Wi-Fi: 802.11ax 2×2 MU-MIMO Interfaces: 1x GbE WAN/LAN, 4x GbE LAN, 1x RJ-11, 1x USB 2.0 Wireless Speed: 2.4 GHz up to 574 Mbps, 5 GHz up to 2402 Mbps Dimensions: 241 × 145 × 44 mm Weight: 650 g
DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Design
The Vigor2865Lax-5G puts most of the status LEDs and wired port interfaces on the front (Image credit: Future)
Four external magnetic 5G antennas
Wall and rack mountable
Easy to access front ports
The DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G looks just like the rest of the 2865 series, albeit with a few minor differences and the addition of the cellular antennas. The router puts all the ports and status LEDs on the front, while the antennas, SIM card slot and power are at the rear.
The cellular antennas can be mounted directly to the router, but space is tight, or they can use the included bases with 100 cm cables. The bases are solidly weighted and include a magnet and are easy to spread out and securely attach to metal surfaces.
The SIM card slot has a cover secured by two screws, and once removed, the tray can be pressed to release and it pops out. The SIMs themselves sit on each side of the tray. Note that there is no eSIM support.
The power connector, Wi-Fi antennas, 5G antenna connections and sim card slot are all on the rear (Image credit: Future)
The 2865Lax-5G is powered by the included 12V, 3A PSU. It can be wall mounted using the attachment points on the underside and includes two screws for this. Alternatively, it can be rack-mounted with the optional DR101 rack-mount bracket.
You also get an RJ11 and RJ45 cable in the box. Other optional accessories include an external USB thermometer for temperature monitoring and alternate Wi-Fi antennas.
Overall, the design is good, with everything easily accessible but not unnecessarily showy for a device that will likely be out of sight.
Design: 4 / 5
DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Features
The Vigor2865Lax-5G web interface is comprehensive yet laid out in an easy to use way (Image credit: Future)
Dual SIM cellular modem
VDSL2 modem
Flexible multi-WAN management
The key design goal of the Vigor2865Lax-5G is flexibility, with its combination of 5G connectivity, a VDSL2 modem, fast Wi-Fi and loads of management options. The need for a VDSL modem varies, but for businesses (or remote offices) without fiber, being able to extract the most from a VDSL connection is critical. With 35b Supervectoring, the router can handle up to 300 Mbps over VDSL, making it ideal for those still reliant on fiber-to-the-node or copper-based services. The inclusion of ADSL2+ compatibility is also great, as it gives useful support for legacy connections.
Of course, what sets the Lax-5G apart is its integrated 5G modem and dual Nano-SIM slots, which offer native mobile broadband support without the need for USB dongles. The modem’s 5G connection is rated for a maximum NSA (non-standalone) downlink rate of 3400 Mbps, with an uplink of 550 Mbps. For standalone (SA) 5G, it is rated for 2400 Mbps downlink and 900 Mbps uplink. It uses the 5G bands n1, n20, n28, n3, n38, n40, n5, n7, n77, n78 and n8. Supporting both NSA and SA 5G means the router is relatively future-proof, as it can operate entirely on 5G as needed.
For LTE (4G), you get category 19 for downlinks (up to 1600 Mbps) and Cat 18 for uplinks (up to 200 Mbps). It supports FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) bands 1 (2100MHz), 20 (800MHz), 28 (700MHz), 3 (1800MHz), 5 (850MHz), 7 (2600MHz), 8 (900MHz), plus TDD (Time Division Duplexing) bands 38 (2600MHz), 40 (2300MHz), as well as WCDMA (3G) bands 1 and 8.
While the cellular modem here is excellent, with the latest technology, it is connected internally in the router via USB 2.0, which will limit throughput to under 400 Mbps. But more on that later. The Vigor2865Lax-5G also supports sending and receiving SMS, using SMS for hotspot verification, as well as sending SMS alerts for status changes, such as loss of WAN or VDSL connection.
While the router accepts dual SIMs, only one can be used at a time, but they can be set to failover. This is ideal as a backup when relying on cellular, as you can have services from two providers. It also allows flexibility if traveling between areas with varying coverage. You can even add an external USB 4G/5G dongle as an entire extra backup mobile connection that can run at the same time as the built-in 5G connection, including using load sharing.
The cellular connections can also be managed alongside the other internet options, so the router can maintain internet access via VDSL, Ethernet WAN or 5G, with automatic failover and load balancing to switch between them as required. These capabilities are backed by robust traffic management tools like bandwidth limiting, QoS prioritization and advanced routing rules. Not to mention, you can still add in an extra USB 4G dongle for a secondary backup mobile connection.
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The rear card slot takes two SIMs (one on each side of the holder) (Image credit: Future)
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The 5G antennas can can be position at various angles to maximize the connection speed (Image credit: Future)
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The 5G antennas have a weighted magnet base, so can be easily position in a variety of ways (Image credit: Future)
Wi-Fi is handled by an AX3000-spec dual-band radio supporting Wi-Fi 6. While you don’t get access to the 6GHz band, it’s still enough for excellent wireless performance. Plus, the router also supports wireless WAN modes and mesh networking, and is ideally set up to act as a central manager of additional DrayTek access points.
As always, DrayTek’s overall ecosystem approach is a major benefit. The 2865Lax-5G can manage up to 20 Vigor access points and 10 switches, making it an ideal base for expanding small to medium business networks with simplified, centralized control. The USB port also adds further flexibility by supporting external devices such as printers, temperature sensors or storage drives.
To ensure top-notch performance, the Vigor2865Lax-5G incorporates hardware acceleration to maximize routing and VPN throughput. Dual-WAN configurations get the benefit of up to 1.3 Gbps of NAT throughput, and IPsec VPN sessions can hit up to 800 Mbps. The idea here is that even when combining VDSL, 5G, and Ethernet WAN, network traffic won’t hit any major internal bottlenecks.
Like the rest of the 2865 series, the Lax-5G includes a comprehensive array of business-focused features. These range from an advanced captive hotspot portal with custom landing page options, to a full-featured firewall, web content filtering and secure remote access via SSL or IPsec VPNs.
The online Draytek Vigor ACS 3 demo is a good way to see if this management option is the right fit for your business (Image credit: Future)
One of the key features of the Vigor2865Lax-5G for business users is its ability to manage a wider DrayTek-based network. Directly through the router’s interface, you can control up to 20 Vigor access points and 10 Vigor switches, including support for mesh networks with up to seven wireless nodes. This makes it a strong foundation for small to medium-sized deployments that may need to scale over time.
Even before reaching a high number of devices, network management can start to feel complex. While the router supports TR-069 provisioning tools, DrayTek also offers a more advanced option in the form of VigorACS 3. This server-based management platform unlocks SD-WAN features on supported hardware, including the Vigor2865Lax-5G. SD-WAN is a practical choice for businesses with remote staff, offering secure and flexible access to company resources from home or while traveling.
There’s a lot to unpack, but overall the Vigor2865Lax-5G offers a well-rounded mix of modern wireless, fixed-line, and cellular connectivity in a single, business-ready device without jumping to enterprise price tiers.
But don’t take my word for it – the DrayTek website has online demos available that let you poke around the interface and explore the features yourself. I highly recommend you take a look, as I don’t have the space here to cover everything the 2865Lax-5G can do. Check out the 2865 series demo at http://eu.draytek.com:22865/.
DrayTek also makes it easy to give VigorACS a try, and buying a compatible device means you get a free 30-day trial. Or, if you want to take a look right now, there’s also an online demo.
Features: 4.5 / 5
DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Performance
The Vigor2865Lax-5G has a variety of easy to read status lights on the front panel (Image credit: Future)
Excellent failover and load balancing
Useful hardware acceleration
Decent performance for the spec
Getting the Vigor2865Lax-5G up and running was straightforward and entirely handled through the web interface. For basic setups it’s quick, but once you start digging into more advanced features, the interface does get dense. That said, DrayTek provides an excellent range of support materials, including detailed manuals, step-by-step guides and a knowledge base that is very helpful if you get stuck.
DrayTek also has an app available, and while I preferred the web interface, it lets you handle most of the setup and control, with some limitations for the more advanced configuration changes, diagnostics and firmware updates.
For hands-on testing, I slotted the 2865Lax-5G into a mixed network that included DrayTek access points, a Vigor switch, a NAS, IP cameras and a wide variety of connected devices. I tested with both 5G as the primary WAN, and as a backup, combined with a connection via the WAN port. The router handled multiple WAN sources without issue and automatic failover and load balancing worked as expected.
Testing in Australia, I used a Telstra data SIM on the 5G network with high signal strength. At peak, downloads reached 304 Mbps and uploads hit 121 Mbps, with latency averaging around 35 ms. I ran the 5G as my primary connection for a week, and had no issues at all, even with sustained high throughput. As mentioned earlier, the cellular modem uses an internal USB 2.0 connection, which limits the maximum bandwidth to no more than about 400 Mbps. Considering the modem is capable of much more, this is a potential bottleneck for the future, but in the real world right now not many setups would sustain more than this anyway. Load balancing across 5G and WAN during this test worked reliably, with the router distributing traffic as needed.
The Vigor2865Lax-5G includes a 1Gbps LAN/WAN port, plus 4x 1 GbE ports and an RJ11 DSL port (Image credit: Future)
Wi-Fi performance was solid overall. Mesh setup with other DrayTek access points was fast using the built-in wizard. Once connected, mesh handover between nodes worked well. At short range on a Wi-Fi 7 laptop, I measured top speeds of 578 Mbps. Two internal walls dropped that down to 404 Mbps, and at a distance of ten meters it managed 377 Mbps.
That’s a respectable result for Wi-Fi 6, though not exceptional, and at longer range, performance was decent but nothing spectacular – likely due to the relatively low-gain stock antennas. For those who want to optimize wireless coverage, DrayTek offers optional higher-gain and directional patch antennas that can help improve the experience in more demanding spaces.
I also tested with large network file transfers, though these were capped by the speed of the Gigabit LAN ports. As the LAN/WAN port is also Gigabit Ethernet, the router won’t suit faster 1Gbps+ internet connections.
Overall, the Vigor2865Lax-5G handled everything I threw at it with aplomb, and there were no failures or even hiccups, to report. Bandwidth allocation, VPN tunnels, VLAN separation and WAN prioritization all worked exactly as described and managing the wider test network of DrayTek devices through the 2865’s interface was straightforward.
Of course, getting the router set up the way you want takes time, but once configured, the Vigor2865Lax-5G is a workhorse, and gives stable multi-WAN connectivity with the added benefit of built-in 5G for backups and in the field connections.
Performance: 4 / 5
DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Final verdict
The Vigor2865Lax-5G is a capable and well-rounded router that brings built-in 5G to the already versatile 2865 router series. For businesses without access to fiber, or those needing a reliable backup or mobile WAN option, the combination of VDSL2, Ethernet WAN, 5G and even USB 4G fallback makes it a very flexible option.
While some of the hardware is not cutting-edge, performance is solid overall with no issues encountered during testing. Hardware acceleration gives the router enough throughput to comfortably handle high network usage, VPN connections, load balancing and a range of management and QoS options without choking under pressure. It is limited by its Gigabit-only ports, so it will not suit offices with multi-gigabit fiber plans, but for typical SME use cases, it has more than enough headroom.
It’s important to reiterate that the 2865Lax-5G works best when used as part of a wider DrayTek setup. With support for managing access points, switches and full integration with the VigorACS management platform, it becomes a practical core device for branch offices, mobile sites, or retail networks. SD-WAN functionality, VPN policy control and centralized monitoring all add significant value for those who need a lot of flexibility.
DrayTek continues to deliver strong support and the router is backed by extensive online documentation, setup guides and a responsive help site, which makes it easier to unlock the full range of features. While the web interface and app are not exactly glamorous, both are reliable, easy-to-use interfaces with excellent depth of control.
There are some limits to be aware of, like the lack of multi-gig ports, USB 2.0 connections and old Wi-Fi 6 spec, but these are understandable trade-offs at this price point. So if your business needs dependable, multi-WAN connectivity and 5G as part of its network, the Vigor2865Lax-5G delivers exactly what it promises with very little fuss.
Should you buy the DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G?
Value
Well priced for the fairly unique set of features
4 / 5
Design
Simple yet effective
4 / 5
Features
Loads of business-focused features that give excellent management and internet redundancy options
4.5 / 5
Performance
Some limits due to the hardware chosen but well suited to its target audience.
4 / 5
Overall
A versatile modem-router that will suit small to medium businesses with varied networking needs
4 / 5
Buy it if...
You need a fast primary or backup 5G connection The dual SIM 5G makes for very cheap yet versatile backups, or enables high-speed connections where there are no wired options.
Your business uses an FTTN or copper-based connection The built-in modem with 35b Supervectoring support means you can max out the VDSL speeds, while ADSL2+ backward compatibility is still surprisingly important in many regions.
Don't buy it if...
You don’t need the VDSL modem For those who want the 5G and the other WAN options, but don’t need the built-in DSL modem, consider options like the DrayTek Vigor2927Lax-5G instead.
You don't need a cellular connection Having built-in 5G backup is fantastic, but if you don’t need it, then the DrayTek Vigor2865ax has all the same features (minus the cellular connection) for half the price.
Video editing tools are everywhere these days. You have cheap, not very powerful options bundled with your computing device, you can purchase expensive, very powerful apps with a steep learning curve, or you can opt for a more middle of the road option: software that is brimming with features, looks fun to use, and is affordable.
And it's in the latter camp that I'd place Movavi. It's unlikely to trouble the likes of Premiere Pro and Resolve any time soon, but it's superior to the likes of Apple iMovie or ClipChamp. And it might be one of the best video editing software for beginners around right now.
I took Movavi Video Suite 2025 for a spin to see how it handles the post-production process, and precisely where it fits into this crowded field.
Movavi Video Suite 2025: Pricing & plans
A choice of subscription or one-off fee for a perpetual license, with a massive discount at time of review
The Movavi Video Suite is available as both a subscription service or a perpetual licence, with wildly fluctuating prices throughout: you have the standard cost, and more often than not, you’ll have a special limited time discount, which, in our experience with other software and services, almost always gets reset and extended when their time runs out. But in case it doesn’t, we’ll list you all the prices we found on their website.
The monthly subscription is the only one that remains static at around $30. By contrast, the yearly subscription should cost you a little under $250, but was discounted to around $100 as of this writing.
If you fancy combining your rentals, you can grab the Video Suite and Movavi’s Photo Editor for a yearly subscription of $234 (currently discounted to $105).
Should you not be a fan of renting your software however, you have the option of purchasing the latter (i.e. the Video Suite and the Photo Editor) for $334 - or $150, if the discount holds.
All of the above come with a 30-day money back guarantee, and you also have the ability to download a 7-day free trial which works without you having to hand out your card details. This trial has limitations, as you’d expect, such as limiting the length of your outputs and watermarking them, for instance.
You can check out the full pricing details on Movavi's website by clicking here.
Score: 4/5
Movavi Video Suite 2025: Getting started
(Image credit: Movavi // Future)
The software made it somewhat tricky for us to get to a language we understood, so we could start using it
Launching Movavi Video Editor for the first time, we were greeted with a difficult conundrum, one which never happened to us before, so it couldn’t have been our computer’s setting, and we felt it was worth us mentioning it, should it also happen to you: everything was in Japanese, which made any kind work impossible if you’re unfamiliar with that noble language.
Thankfully, feeding a screenshot of the settings window to Google Translate helped us see which menu led to our preferred language. It’s not a hard issue to resolve, but it would’ve been preferable had the software noticed which language our computer was using, and default to it during installation.
Score: 2.5/5
Movavi Video Suite 2025: Interface
(Image credit: Movavi // Future)
Movavi’s video editor is well-organized and surprisingly simple to use, with all the tools you need easily accessible, including some very well-implemented and powerful features
Movavi Video Suite is essentially broken down into three separate tools: the Video Editor, the Video Converter, and the Screen Recorder. We’ll focus primarily on the former as that’s where anyone interested in filmmaking will be spending most of their time, and we suspect, if you’re reading this, that this means you.
And frankly, we were really impressed with it. It’s clean, simple, well organised, and gives you access to all the tools you need quickly and efficiently. The interface offers the media section, top left, the preview window, top right, and the timeline taking up almost half of the screen real estate at the bottom.
To the left you have a sidebar, giving you access to tools, effects, transitions, titles, even Movavi’s online store. Just above the Timeline are the editing tools you’ll use most often, and also includes other features, such as ‘auto subtitling’, which is almost too easy to use (and more competent and flexible than what some higher end software offer).
The whole interface is extremely friendly: drag footage from a hard drive straight onto the media section, then drag the clips you want onto the timeline to start building your edit. You can work with multiple layers of audio and video, apply transitions and various effects just by dragging them onto the clip you wish to affect. It’s all very simple. So much so in fact, that what could be moderately tricky to complex actions, are handled with ease.
We found the AI Tracker, for instance, to provide excellent results with the user barely doing anything to make it work, and the algorithms behind the ‘Background Remover’ were remarkably good, even when the background itself was quite complex (such as foliage).
(Image credit: Movavi // Future)
Movavi’s Video Editor also has an online store which is accessible via the ‘Packs’ menu, on the left sidebar. As it’s a store, most items are Premium ones (they have a little dark pink crown, top right of their thumbnail), but a handful can be used for free. In any case, you’re allowed to download even the Premium ones and include them in your project. You’ll just need to deal with financial matters upon export.
Speaking of Exports, this video editor comes with numerous options. MP4 is chosen by default (which makes sense as it’s so ubiquitous), but you have numerous other options available to you, including DVD formats, and even the long obsolete SWF. In addition to generic formats, you also have presets for specific devices, such as iPhones, Xbox and more, and you can upload your project directly to social media with links to YouTube, Vimeo, and TikTok. It’s a well stocked series of options.
Score: 4.5/5
Movavi Video Suite 2025: Converter & Screen Capture
(Image credit: Movavi // Future)
The Movavi Suite comes with two other apps, one to convert video and images to numerous different formats, and the other to record your screen (or take screenshots). Both are full featured, offering numerous options, and very easy to use
The Movavi Video Suite isn’t limited to their excellent Video Editor: it also comes with a Video Converter and a Screen Capture tool. Let’s quickly take a look at them.
The Video Converter’s interface is sparse, but then again, what do you need to convert image and video? An area to drag files onto, and a list of formats to choose from, and that’s exactly what Video Converter offers. It’s incredibly easy to use, whether you’re after software that does it all for you, in which case just select the preset you’re after and you’re done. But should you need to manipulate every available parameter, those are but a drop down menu away.
On top of this, Video Converter also offers you a surprising range of editing tools, from adjusting the audio, to making basic colour correction, applying effects, adding subtitles or a watermark, and cropping and trimming the footage. It’s unexpectedly full featured.
(Image credit: Movavi // Future)
When it comes to Screen Recorder, you have the choice of taking a screenshot or a video. The software can instantly recognise open windows (it even selects the frontmost one by default), or allows you to set a specific area, or forego all of that and capture the entire screen.
It will also record the computer’s audio, an external microphone and your webcam, which it burns into the recording (you can’t choose to move it around after the recording or remove it altogether after the fact). Frustratingly, as is the case with every other screen capture tool, you have to grant it so many permissions for it to work properly, it can take a while.
Score: 4.5/5
Should I buy Movavi Video Suite 2025?
(Image credit: Movavi // Future)
Buy it if...
You’re looking for editing software that covers everything from editing, to formatting, and even has a powerful screen capture tool, with interfaces that are sleek and well designed, to make it as easy as possible for you to get your work done.
Don't buy it if...
You’re put off by the additional tools that come with the suite beyond the editing options, as you either already have similar products or don’t need them, or feel the features available are just too advanced for your needs.
Medium stands out as one of the most writer-friendly platforms in our comprehensive best blogging platforms roundup. Unlike traditional blogging tools, it functions more like a social network for long-form content, where your stories can reach millions without any marketing effort.
Our reviewers have tested 140+ of the best website builders and blogging tools giving us deep insight into what makes each platform unique. What sets Medium apart for us is its focus on content over customization. You won't find the design flexibility of Wix, our top pick for 2025. But the tradeoff’s not for nothing.
Instead, Medium prioritizes discovery and engagement through its algorithm-driven feed system. The platform currently serves over 100 million monthly visitors and pays writers more than $2 million monthly through its Partner Program.
What is Medium?
Medium is essentially a hybrid between a blogging platform and a social media network, designed specifically for long-form written content. Founded by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams in 2012, it removes the technical barriers of traditional blogging by handling all the hosting, design, and infrastructure for you. You simply create an account and start writing. No coding, no theme selection, no server management required.
Think of Medium as a digital magazine where anyone can contribute articles, called "stories" in Medium's terminology. Your content appears not just on your personal profile but also gets distributed through Medium's recommendation system to readers who might be interested in your topics. This built-in audience discovery is Medium's biggest advantage. Your first article could potentially reach thousands of readers without any promotional effort on your part.
Features
Publications on Medium function like digital magazines where multiple writers can contribute content around specific themes or topics. (Image credit: Medium)
Medium's feature set reflects its philosophy of simplicity over complexity, offering just enough tools to create engaging content without overwhelming writers with options.
The platform excels at content creation and discovery features but falls short on customization and branding capabilities that business users typically need. At $5 monthly for the basic membership, Medium offers reasonable value for writers focused purely on content creation, though it can't compete with full-featured platforms for businesses requiring extensive customization.
The platform's strength lies in its community-driven features like publications, follower systems, and engagement tools that help writers build audiences organically. However, you'll miss advanced features like custom domains, detailed analytics, or ecommerce integration that competitors offer. Medium's pricing becomes more justifiable when you consider the built-in audience and monetization potential through the Partner Program, though serious bloggers may eventually outgrow these limitations.
Content editor
Medium's editor stands out for its clean, distraction-free interface that focuses entirely on writing. The editor uses a simple plus-sign system to add multimedia elements like images, videos, and code blocks, while text formatting appears when you highlight content. This approach eliminates the complexity found in traditional CMS platforms, letting you focus purely on crafting your message.
Publications system
Publications function like digital magazines where multiple writers can contribute content around specific themes or topics. You can either create your own publication or submit stories to existing ones with established audiences. This system provides an excellent way to reach targeted readers beyond your personal followers, with some publications boasting thousands of dedicated subscribers.
Partner program monetization
The Partner Program allows writers to earn money based on reading time from paying subscribers, with earnings calculated through factors like engagement, follower bonuses, and story boosts. Writers can earn anywhere from a few dollars to thousands monthly, with top performers making substantial incomes. The program requires a $5 monthly membership and at least one published story to qualify.
Social features
Medium incorporates social networking elements like following other writers, clapping for stories (similar to likes), and highlighting specific text passages for comments. These features create a more interactive experience than traditional blogs, encouraging community building and reader engagement. The platform also offers audio narration for stories, expanding accessibility for different types of content consumption.
Ease of use
You create an account, choose topics to follow, and can immediately start writing or reading. (Image credit: Medium)
Medium prioritizes simplicity above all else, making it one of the most beginner-friendly publishing platforms available. The onboarding process takes just minutes. You create an account, choose topics to follow, and can immediately start writing or reading. The interface feels more like using a word processor than managing a complex website, with all technical aspects handled automatically in the background.
The writing experience centers around Medium's elegant editor, which reveals formatting options only when needed. New paragraphs show a plus sign for adding multimedia, while highlighting text reveals options for bold, italic, headers, and links. This progressive disclosure approach prevents interface clutter while keeping powerful features accessible when you need them.
Medium's approach to publishing reflects founder Evan Williams' vision of removing friction from content creation. Unlike traditional blogging platforms that require decisions about themes, plugins, and hosting, Medium handles everything automatically. You write, hit publish, and Medium's algorithm immediately begins showing your content to potentially interested readers based on their reading history and followed topics.
The platform does have some accessibility considerations worth noting. While the clean design works well for most users, the limited customization options mean you can't adjust fonts, colors, or layouts for specific accessibility needs. However, Medium's built-in audio narration feature helps serve users who prefer listening to reading.
Pricing
The $5 monthly membership unlocks unlimited reading of all stories, enables Partner Program participation for earning money, and includes audio narrations. (Image credit: Medium)
Plan
Starting rate (paid annually)
Renewal rate (paid annually)
Free
$0/month
$0/month
Medium Member
$5/month
$5/month
Friend of Medium
$12.50/month
$12.50/month
Medium's pricing structure is refreshingly straightforward compared to most blogging platforms. The free tier allows unlimited publishing and reading of non-member stories, but limits you to three member-only articles monthly. A freemium approach lets you test the platform thoroughly before committing to a paid plan.
The $5 monthly membership unlocks unlimited reading of all stories, enables Partner Program participation for earning money, and includes audio narrations. The $15 monthly "Friend of Medium" tier provides the same features but pays writers 4x more when you read their content, making it more of a supporter tier than a feature upgrade.
Unlike traditional blogging platforms, Medium has no transaction fees, hosting costs, or additional charge. The membership fee covers everything.
Customer support
Medium's customer support operates primarily through email and social media channels, with no live chat or phone support available for immediate assistance. (Image credit: Medium)
Medium's customer support operates primarily through email and social media channels, with no live chat or phone support available for immediate assistance. You can reach their support team by filling out a form at help.medium.com or contacting them directly at yourfriend@medium.com. For specific issues like complaints or feedback, they provide dedicated email addresses including trust@medium.com for platform concerns and legal@medium.com for legal matters.
The quality of customer support receives mixed reviews from users. According to customer satisfaction data on TrustPilot, Medium scores just 1.7 out of 5 stars for customer service, with most users reporting dissatisfaction with response times and issue resolution. Only 5% of customers who contacted support reported having their issues resolved on PissedConsumer, which is concerning for a platform serving millions of users. The average call time when reaching their phone line is just 1 minute, suggesting limited depth in support interactions.
Medium's support structure reflects their focus on self-service solutions rather than hands-on customer care. They maintain a comprehensive knowledge base for common questions and troubleshooting. However, this approach can frustrate users dealing with account issues, billing problems, or content disputes that require human intervention. The lack of real-time support options like live chat makes Medium less suitable for businesses requiring immediate technical assistance.
For serious publishers or businesses considering Medium, the limited support infrastructure represents a significant drawback. You'll need to rely heavily on community forums and self-help resources when problems arise. This hands-off approach works fine for casual writers but becomes problematic when dealing with monetization issues, publication management, or account security concerns that demand prompt resolution.
Alternatives
Medium occupies a unique position in the blogging landscape as a social publishing platform rather than a traditional content management system. With over 99,522 companies using Medium globally as of 2025, it holds a modest market share compared to competitors like Tumblr (72.09%) and Google Blogger (5.33%). Medium's strength lies in its built-in audience of 100 million monthly readers and its focus on content discovery over customization.
The platform works best for individual writers, thought leaders, and content creators who prioritize reaching audiences over building branded websites. It's particularly valuable for freelance writers building portfolios, startup founders establishing thought leadership, and journalists sharing insights without technical overhead. Medium's Partner Program makes it attractive for writers seeking immediate monetization opportunities based on reader engagement rather than traditional advertising models.
Medium's main competitors serve different needs across the blogging spectrum. WordPress.org dominates for users wanting complete control and customization, while platforms like Ghost cater to professional publishers seeking speed and membership features. Substack competes directly in the newsletter space, and newer platforms like Bullet.so target Notion users wanting SEO control with custom domains. Newer solutions like Wix offer more design flexibility for brand-focused creators.
For businesses requiring custom branding, SEO control, or advanced features, Medium's limitations become apparent quickly. The platform's algorithm-dependent distribution and lack of custom domains make it unsuitable for companies building long-term digital assets. However, for writers prioritizing content creation over technical management, Medium remains one of the most accessible publishing platforms available, especially when combined with its built-in monetization and discovery features.
Medium: Summary
Medium succeeds as a streamlined publishing platform that removes technical barriers between writers and their audiences. Its clean editor, built-in readership, and Partner Program monetization create an appealing package for content creators focused purely on writing. The platform's social networking features and algorithmic distribution help new writers gain exposure that would take months or years to achieve on independent blogs.
However, Medium's limitations become significant for users requiring control, customization, or long-term brand building. The lack of custom domains, limited design options, and algorithm dependency make it unsuitable for businesses or serious bloggers planning sustainable content strategies. While Medium works excellently for individual writers and thought leaders, its constraints ultimately position it as a stepping stone rather than a permanent solution for most professional content creators.
Medium review: FAQs
Can I use my own domain with Medium?
Medium offers custom domain support only for publications, not individual writer profiles. This means you can connect a custom domain if you create a Medium publication, but your personal Medium profile will always use the medium.com/@username format. This limitation significantly impacts branding efforts for businesses and professional writers who want to build their own digital presence rather than relying on Medium's platform.
How much money can I make through Medium's Partner Program?
Earnings through Medium's Partner Program vary dramatically based on your content quality, audience engagement, and publishing frequency. Top writers can earn thousands of dollars monthly, while most participants make anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. Your earnings depend on reading time from paying subscribers, with factors like follower bonuses and story boosts affecting your total compensation. You need a $5 monthly membership and at least one published story to qualify for the program.
Can I export my content from Medium if I decide to leave?
Medium allows you to export your stories, but the process has limitations. You can download your data through your account settings, which includes your published stories in HTML format. However, you'll lose the engagement metrics, comments, and social proof built up on the platform. The exported content also requires reformatting for use on other platforms, and you won't retain the SEO benefits or backlinks generated through Medium's domain authority.
Is Medium good for SEO?
Medium provides mixed SEO benefits due to its high domain authority but limited control over optimization. While your content benefits from Medium's strong search engine presence, you can't customize meta descriptions, URLs, or implement advanced SEO strategies. Medium automatically handles basic SEO elements like canonical tags and meta titles, but you're restricted to their format and structure. For serious SEO efforts, dedicated blogging platforms offer much better control and long-term visibility potential.
What's the difference between Medium's free and paid memberships?
Medium's free tier allows unlimited publishing and reading of non-member stories, but limits you to three member-only articles monthly. The $5 monthly membership unlocks unlimited reading of all stories, enables Partner Program participation for earning money, and includes audio narrations of articles. The $15 monthly "Friend of Medium" tier provides the same features but pays writers 4x more when you read their content, functioning more as a supporter tier than offering additional features for your own content creation.
Substack has been a genuine surprise among blogging platforms in 2025, aimed for writers who want to ditch the search and monetize their content directly. Unlike some conventional options featured in our best blogging platforms roundup, Substack focuses on newsletter subscriptions and social discovery over traditional SEO. This unique publishing experience has gained significant traction among independent creators, especially journalists and influencers.
Our reviewers have spent thousands of hours testing 140+ of the best website builders and blogging tools, giving us deep insight into what makes platforms succeed or fail. While Wix remains our top pick for overall blogging excellence in 2025, Substack carves out its own niche with a distinctly different philosophy. It prioritizes simple publishing workflows and direct reader relationships over complex features and design flexibility.
Substack's growth trajectory has been remarkable, with writers building substantial audiences and generating significant revenue through paid subscriptions. Its success stems from its focus on quality content and genuine reader engagement, creating an environment where thoughtful writing thrives over algorithm-chasing tactics.
What is Substack?
You can think of Substack as a hybrid between a blog and an email newsletter service, designed specifically for writers who want to build direct relationships with their readers.
At its core, Substack is a content publishing platform where you can share newsletters and monetize your writing. Unlike traditional blogging platforms that rely heavily on search engine traffic, Substack delivers your content directly to subscribers' inboxes while also maintaining a web presence for broader discovery.
This platform operates on a simple premise: writers create content, readers subscribe to receive it via email, and successful creators can charge for premium subscriptions. Substack handles all the technical aspects — payment processing, email delivery, subscriber management — so writers can focus purely on creating content. This unique model has attracted everyone from independent journalists to niche experts who want to build sustainable businesses around their expertise, without dealing with complex website management or marketing automation tools.
Features
Substack's community features help writers discover audiences and build relationships with peers. (Image credit: Substack)
Substack offers a focused feature set that prioritizes writing and reader engagement over extensive customization options. The platform provides essential tools for content creation, email distribution, basic analytics, and monetization, making it particularly well-suited for writers who want to start publishing immediately without technical barriers. While feature-rich compared to basic newsletter services, Substack deliberately keeps things simpler than full-featured content management systems, which may disappoint users looking for advanced functionality.
The pricing structure reflects this streamlined approach. Core features like writing, publishing, email distribution, notes, videos, podcasts, and analytics are completely free. You only pay when you start earning through paid subscriptions, with Substack taking a 10% platform fee plus payment processing costs. This model makes it accessible for beginners while scaling costs with success, though the lack of advanced email marketing features like segmentation and automation may limit monetization potential for experienced marketers.
Writing and publishing tools
Substack's editor focuses on clean and distraction-free writing with basic formatting options that keep content readable and professional. The platform supports multimedia content including images, videos, and embedded podcasts, allowing creators to build rich publications without technical complexity. Publishing is instantaneous. You write, hit publish, and your content goes live on your profile page and optionally hits subscriber inboxes.
Email newsletter system
Email functionality forms Substack's backbone, automatically formatting your posts for inbox delivery with professional templates. Subscribers receive posts directly in their email, creating more intimate reader relationships than traditional blog followers. The system handles subscriber management, delivery optimization, and basic segmentation between free and paid subscribers. But it lacks advanced email marketing features like automated sequences or detailed subscriber tagging.
Monetization features
Substack's subscription system allows writers to offer free content alongside premium paid tiers, with flexible pricing for monthly, annual, and founding member subscriptions. The platform handles all payment processing through Stripe integration, manages subscriber access to paid content, and provides revenue analytics. Writers can experiment with different pricing strategies and offer various subscription benefits, though the system lacks sophisticated pricing experiments or advanced subscriber lifecycle management.
Community and discovery tools
Substack Notes functions as the platform's social layer, allowing writers to share shorter thoughts and engage with other creators' content. The Recommendations feature enables cross-promotion between compatible publications, creating organic growth opportunities within the Substack ecosystem. These community features help writers discover audiences and build relationships with peers, though discoverability remains challenging for new creators without existing audiences.
Analytics and insights
Basic analytics cover essential metrics like open rates, click-through rates, subscriber growth, and revenue tracking. The dashboard provides clear insights into content performance and audience engagement, helping writers understand what resonates with their readers. However, the analytics remain relatively simple compared to advanced email marketing platforms, lacking detailed subscriber behavior tracking or sophisticated conversion analysis.
Ease of use
Your writing experience feels natural and distraction-free, but the simplicity comes with trade-offs that some users find limiting. (Image credit: Substack)
Substack excels in simplicity, offering perhaps the most straightforward onboarding experience among content platforms. New users can create an account and publish their first post within minutes, with no technical setup required. The minimal interface eliminates the overwhelming array of options that plague traditional blogging platforms, allowing writers to focus on content creation rather than configuration.
Your writing experience feels natural and distraction-free, with a simple editor that handles formatting automatically while maintaining professional appearance. Publishing requires just a single click, the platform handles email distribution, web posting, and subscriber notifications seamlessly. This extends to subscriber management, where basic analytics and payment tracking remain accessible without complex dashboards or confusing metrics.
However, simplicity comes with trade-offs that some users find limiting. Customization options are minimal. You can adjust colors, add a logo, and choose from basic layouts, but advanced design control simply doesn't exist. Writers who want unique branding or complex page layouts will find Substack restrictive compared to platforms like WordPress or Ghost.
The platform occasionally suffers from performance issues too, with some users reporting unresponsive pages during editing sessions. While these technical hiccups don't affect the core publishing experience, they can frustrate users trying to customize their publications or manage subscriber settings. Despite these limitations, most writers appreciate the focus on content over complexity, finding it liberating rather than restrictive.
Pricing
Substack operates on a unique revenue-sharing model with no traditional subscription tiers. (Image credit: Substack)
Plan
Starting rate (paid annually)
Renewal rate (paid annually)
Free
$0/month
$0/month
Pro
10% of subscription revenue + processing fees
10% of subscription revenue + processing fees
Substack operates on a unique revenue-sharing model with no traditional subscription tiers. The platform is completely free to use for publishing free content, regardless of subscriber count.
Writers only pay when they enable paid subscriptions, at which point Substack takes a 10% platform fee plus payment processing costs through Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, plus 0.5% for recurring billing). You also pay a one-time fee of $50 if you’d like to connect your own domain, which can be purchased separately from a domain registrar.
This aligns Substack's success with creator success. It only profits when writers earn money. For a typical $50 annual subscription, total fees would amount to approximately $7.10, leaving writers with around $42.90. While a percentage-based model can become expensive for high-earning creators compared to flat-rate alternatives, it eliminates upfront costs and makes the platform accessible to writers just starting their monetization journey.
Customer support
Only about 10% of callers manage to speak with an actual person, with the average resolution rate being just 1%. (Image credit: Substack)
Substack's customer support has become a significant pain point for many users, with the platform heavily relying on AI-powered chatbots in 2024-25. The company launched an automated support system in early 2024, claiming it resolves over 90% of user inquiries. However, user experiences tell a different story, with many reporting frustrating interactions and difficulty reaching human representatives.
The primary support channel is a chatbot that appears on Substack's support page, though users can still email support@substack.com. While Substack claims there's a "seamless handoff" to human support when needed, many users report getting stuck in automated loops without receiving actual human assistance. The platform does provide a phone number (415-592-7299), but customer satisfaction ratings are extremely low at just 1.4 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot.
Real user experiences reveal significant issues with the support system. People report being charged multiple times for subscriptions, unable to cancel payments, and receiving only automated responses despite repeated attempts to reach human support. AI sometimes fabricates email addresses or provides incorrect information, leaving users without resolution for weeks or months. Only about 10% of callers manage to speak with an actual person, with the average resolution rate being just 1%.
For urgent security issues, you can contact security@substackinc.com, which appears to receive more attention than general support requests. However, the overall support experience remains frustrating for most users, with many describing it as "nonexistent" and recommending alternative platforms partly due to these service limitations.
Alternatives
Substack occupies a unique position in the content publishing market as a hybrid newsletter-blog platform focused on direct reader monetization. While competitors like WordPress offer more customization and Ghost provides better technical control, Substack's strength lies in its social publishing features and built-in community elements. The platform combines traditional newsletter functionality with social media-style interactions through Notes, recommendations, and cross-promotion features that most competitors lack.
For writers seeking maximum customization and control, WordPress remains the strongest alternative, offering extensive themes, plugins, and the ability to sell various digital products beyond subscriptions. Ghost CMS appeals to technically-minded creators who want full ownership without revenue sharing, providing advanced analytics and automation features that Substack lacks. Beehiiv and ConvertKit serve writers focused purely on email marketing with sophisticated automation tools.
Substack works best for independent writers and journalists who prioritize simplicity over customization and want to build direct relationships with readers. It particularly suits creators who appreciate the social discovery aspects and don't need complex email marketing features. However, writers requiring advanced design control, detailed analytics, or diverse monetization options may find better fits elsewhere.
The competitive landscape shows Substack maintaining its lead through community features rather than technical superiority. While platforms like MailerLite offer more comprehensive email tools and Gumroad provides broader monetization options, none match Substack's combination of publishing simplicity and social discovery. This positioning makes Substack ideal for content creators who want to focus on writing rather than platform management.
Substack review: Summary
Substack succeeds as a streamlined publishing platform that removes technical barriers between writers and their audiences. The platform's greatest strength lies in its simplicity. Writers can start publishing and monetizing immediately without dealing with complex setup, payment processing, or email delivery systems. The built-in social features like Notes and recommendations create genuine discovery opportunities that traditional blogging platforms lack, while the direct subscription model aligns creator and platform incentives effectively.
However, Substack's limitations become apparent for creators seeking growth beyond basic newsletter publishing. The minimal customization options, basic analytics, limited SEO capabilities, and problematic customer support create significant constraints for serious content businesses. Writers who need advanced email marketing features, detailed subscriber insights, or professional design control will quickly outgrow what Substack offers, making it hard to recommend as a long-term publishing solution for ambitious creators.
Substack: FAQs
Can I use my own domain with Substack?
Yes, Substack allows custom domains for your publication, giving you a more professional appearance and helping with branding. You can set up a custom domain through your Substack settings, though you'll need to purchase the domain separately and configure DNS settings. This feature helps maintain your brand identity and makes your publication look more established to potential subscribers.
How much does Substack cost for creators?
Substack is completely free to use for publishing free content with unlimited subscribers. You only pay when you enable paid subscriptions, at which point Substack takes a 10% platform fee plus payment processing costs (approximately 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction through Stripe). This means for a typical $50 annual subscription, you'd pay around $7.10 in total fees, keeping roughly $42.90. There are no upfront costs or monthly subscription fees.
Can I export my subscriber list from Substack?
Yes, you own your subscriber list and can export it at any time through your Substack dashboard. This includes both free and paid subscriber information, ensuring you're not locked into the platform. The export feature gives you flexibility to move to other platforms if needed, though you'll need to handle the technical migration and payment processing setup elsewhere.
Does Substack help with content discovery?
Substack offers several discovery features including Notes (short-form social content), recommendations between publications, and curated lists that can boost visibility. However, discoverability remains challenging for new creators without existing audiences. The platform's algorithm-based discovery is limited compared to social media platforms, making it essential to bring your own audience or actively participate in the Substack community to gain traction.
What content formats does Substack support?
Substack supports various content formats including written posts, images, videos, podcasts, and embedded media. You can publish both long-form newsletter content and short-form Notes, create podcast series, and include multimedia elements in your posts. However, the platform lacks advanced formatting options and design flexibility compared to traditional blogging platforms, keeping the focus on clean, readable content rather than complex layouts.
